Lady&#39;s tuck comb



Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,372,08o- LADYS TUCK MB Harold V. Hahn and Dorothy E. Phillips,

. Cleveland, .Ohio

Application August 11, 1943, Serial No. 498,436 claims. (c1. 132-26) This invention relates to the art of combs for womens hair and this particular style of comb is generally known as a ladys tuck comb.

. This comb is especially designed for use in connection with the style of hair-do that is today commonly known as an up-do and it is intended to keep the hair securely and neatly in place.

lThere are other designs of a ladys tuck comb but the object of the present invention is to provide such a comb 'that is better adapted to stay in position and is hence more effective in holding the hair in place.

Another object is to design such a comb that will not only possess this advantage but will at the same time assume and maintain a comfortable position and will presentan attractive appearance'when it has been applied to the hair.

The particular method of forming this design of comb constitutes another object of our invention.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of our improved comb;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of our comb; and

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

f It is to be understood that the present form of l disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there might be devised various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of our invention as herein set forth and claimed.

Our present form of comb may be molded out of plastic material with any desired color, although it may be made of any other suitable material, and it may be made in various sizes and proportions. ,l

In the present form of illustration, the comb comprises the top part I, thel ends 2 and 3 and a series of teeth 5 and 6 between the ends 2 and 3, all of which may be molded as one integral body. As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the comb is curved in two directions so as to have more ellective and more comfortable engagement with the head of the user, this curvature being indicated by reference numeral 4.

In addition to the curved form 4, the top part l of the comb is formed with grooves la so as to still further permit the comb to lie snugly against the users head, the hair extending through the top of the comb body in a gradually inclined manner instead of abruptly, as would be the case except for this provision, as will be readily understood.

As indicated in Fig. l, every other tooth 5 is provided with kinks 5a while the other teeth 6 are of straight form throughout. That is, the kinked teeth 5 and the straight teeth 6 alter nate with each other. It will be observed from Fig. l'that each of the kinked teeth has two kinks or, in other words, each tooth 5 has a double kink ofA reverse form. Each kink comprises angularly connected substantially straight portions; and the outer surface of the middle portion of each kink has contactual engagement with the adjacent end 2 or 3 andwith the adjacent straight tooth E. As viewed in Fig. 1, the lower kink of the` one tooth 5 has engagement with the adjacent end 3 while the lower kinks 5a of the other teeth 5 engage the adjacent teeth 6 to the right thereof. That ls, the lower kinks 5a extend towards the right beyond the longitudinal axis and the main body of the tooth and have contactual engagement with the adjacent straight teeth S and with the end 3. The upper kinks 5a extend towards the left beyond the body of the'tooth and have contactual engagement here with the adjacent straight teeth E and with the end 2.

As will be observed, all of the teeth 5 and are substantially equally spaced from each other both at the top and the bottom thereof.

Now, one particular feature of the present design of comb consists in so forming the same that the contactual engagemenhas just referred to, exists when the comb is not in use. Furthermore, we s0 form the comb that this contactual engagement exists only at the lower part of each kink 5a, the kinked parts 5a. of 'the teeth 5 diverging upwardly from the ends 2 and 3 and from the teeth 6, as the case may be, so las to provide a gradually increasing clearance upwardly therebetween, as indicated by reference numeral l.

In order to produce the comb with this interengagement between the parts, as just described, we apply suitable pressure inwardly and simultaneously against the lower end portions of the ends 2 and 3, after removal of the comb from its mold and while it is still in sufliciently ductile condition to respond to such pressure. That is, upon removal4 of the comb body from its mold, there is of course sufficient; clearance between the kinked portions 5a and the adjacent parts of the comb to permit such removal of the same therefrom. Then this clearance is taken up at only the lower part of each kink before the comb body has cooled enough to become completely set; and the comb is then permitted to become set in this modified form which will be 4permanently retained thereby except when applied to the hair in the manner intended.

The purpose of this feature is to produce a more effective gripping of the hair and hence a more dependable positioning of the comb in the hair of the user. As the comb is applied to the hair, the resiliency of the ends 2 and 3 and the teeth 5 and 6 will permit the hair to pass between the interengaging parts of the kinks 5a and of the other members; and the tendency of these parts to return to interengaging position will serve to prevent the comb from accidentally becoming disengaged from the hair. That is, the hair will be locked in the space between the kink portions and the adjacent portions above the regions of interengagement between these portions, this space being indicated by reference numeral 1, the hair being engaged also between the interengaging portions within the region of such interengagement. In the progressive engagement of the comb with the hair, it will pass through the, lower region of' interengagement and then through the upper region of interengagement, the hair being virtually locked in the space 7 in each instance. During such progressive application of the comb to the hair, the engagement of the hair by the companion portions in one region of interengagement therebetween will serve to increase the lateral force of enga-gement between the other interengaging portions. Thus the engagement of the hair between one set of interengaging portions, as for instance the lower region of interengagement in any given instance, will be further augmented by the engagement of the hair between the other set of interengaging portions, as for instance the upper region of interengagement. In this way, the danger of our improved form of comb becoming accidentally dislodged from the set position in the hair is reduced to a virtual nil.

It is to be understood that the members 2 and 3 and all of the teeth 5 and 6, when in completed condition, will possess sufcient exibility to permit the manner of application and effective locking engagement of the comb as above set forth.

This comb can be made and sold at a popular price and it is thought to possess practical merit that should prove most satisfactory for the purpose intended.

In the accompanying claims, the use of the term teeth is intended to comprehend the side portions or members 2 and 3 as well as the teeth 5 and E, this term being employed in this sense as a matter oi convenience in the drafting of the claims.

What we claim is:

l. A comb comprising a series of flexible teeth, only alternate ones of said teeth each having a laterally projecting kinked portion of substantial vertical extent the other teeth being of plain form, each kinked portion having contactual engagement only at the lower part thereof with an adjacent plain tooth and diverging upwardly away from said adjacent plain tooth so as to provide a space beyond said region of interengagement, within which the hair may become virtually locked for secure positioning of the comb, and said teeth being arranged in the same row.

2. A comb comprising a series of teeth of a ilexible nature, only alternate ones of said teeth each having a plurality of laterally and oppositely projecting kinked portions of substantial vertical extent the other teeth being of plain form, each kinked portion having contaotual engagement only at the lower part thereof with adjacent plain teeth and diverging upwardly away therefrom so as to provide a space beyond said region of interengagement, within which the hair may become virtually locked for secure positioning of the comb, and said teeth being arranged in the same row.

3. A comb comprising a series of flexible teeth, only alternate ones ofk said teeth each having a reversed double kink of substantial vertical extent in each part thereof the other teeth being of plain form, said kinked portions extending laterally and each having contactual engagement with adjacent plain teeth, but only at the lower part thereof, and diverging upwardly away from said adjacent plain teeth so as to provide a space beyond said region of interengagement, within which the hair may become virtually locked for secure positioning of the comb, and said teeth being arranged in the same row.

4. A comb comprising a series of iiexible teeth, only alternate ones of said teeth each having only one laterally projecting kinked portion of substantial vertical extent upon each side thereof, the kinked portions of each tooth being spaced vertically from each other, the other teeth being of plain form, each kinked portion having engagement with an adjacent plain tooth and there being space vertically beyond the region of engagement in each instance, within which the hair may become virtually locked for secure positioning of the comb, said plain and kinked teeth being arranged in a single row.

5. A comb comprising a series of flexible teeth, only alternate ones of said teeth having only one laterally projecting truncated-like portion of substantial vertical extent upon each side thereof, the kinked portions of each tooth being spaced vertically from each other, each kinked portion having substantial straight-line engagement only at the lower part thereof with an adjacent plain tooth and diverging upwardly away from said adjacent plain tooth so as to provide wedge-like space immediately beyond said region of interengagement, within which the hair may become virtually locked for secure positioning of the comb, and all of said teeth being arranged in the same row.

HAROLD V. HAHN. DOROTHY E. PHILLIPS. 

